


The Adventures of Owl Knight and Wolf Knight

by PrinceBishi



Category: Infinite Magic Glories: Impact Mosaic
Genre: Brothers, Depression, Gen, M/M, Multi, Post Game, gay boys, tournament
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-09
Updated: 2017-05-09
Packaged: 2018-10-29 21:29:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 7,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10862460
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/PrinceBishi/pseuds/PrinceBishi
Summary: The Black City rose, and the Princesses and Knights held it at bay. The Memorial Day Weekend party ended, and everyone went home and moved on. The world kept turning. Except for Ulysses. Haunted by the feelings of the mask that had overtaken him, watching as people left him behind, what is he to do next?This fic focuses on events happening post endgame in the Dice Bubble 2017 run of Infinite Magic Glories: Impact Mosaic. It contains spoilers for possible endgame and represents only this players interpretation of the events occurring after the game and the characters interactions.





	1. Prologue

**Open Chat on the Magic Heroes Fan Forums**

_July 15th, 2017, 4:32:36PM_

_User: H4rtwell <3:_ “Has anyone heard anything about the Owl Knight?”

_User: MagicFemmeBoy:_ “No, why, what’s going on?”

_User: Panic!AtTheTournament:_ “No one’s seen him in weeks!”

_User: MagicFemmeBoy:_ “Whaaaaaat??!?!?!? Is he okay?”

_User: H4rtwell <3:_ “Princess Tanaroa and Dark Princess Vellensberg aren’t saying anything.”

_User: AnxiousDemiurge:_ “Wasn’t the Owl Knight dating Vellensberg? Did he just abandon her?”

_User: Panic!AtTheTournament:_ “I mean it’s not like they had a consort bond or anything.”

_User: MagicFemmeBoy:_ “It would still be a dick move though.”

_User: H4rtwell <3:_ “Yeah, but didn’t you see last week’s fight with the terrors? Vellensberg was wearing Tanaroa’s favor!”

_User: MagicFemmeBoy:_ “HOLY SHIT. WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON IN SAN DIEGO.”

_User: AnxiousDemiurge:_ “My friend swore she saw him in Minneapolis. I told her she was crazy, but maybe he came to hang out with his brother or Prince Nakeya?”

_User: H4rtwell <3:_ “That doesn’t answer what’s going on between him, Vellensberg, and Tanaroa.”

_Moderator: PhyInTheSky:_ “Guys, seriously. They’ll all talk when they’re ready. We should all probably give them space.”


	2. Chapter 1: Minneapolis

It looked like something out of a bad fantasy novel. The tall spires, inky black in stark contrast even to the grayest clouds, pierced the sky like lances. The curling architecture of the windows and arches seemed to create eyes and cruel smiles that stared down at him as he sat across from it. The remnants of the Black City seemed to be mocking him. It always seemed to be mocking him.

The rain was beginning to soak through his grey hoodie. The hood was pulled tight around his face, to hide his visage, but the drops still ran down the lenses of his glasses, making it impossible to see. He pulled them off, and spun them in his fingers. Even if someone was out on the streets, it was unlikely they’d recognize him; unshaven, bags under his eyes. But on this rainy evening, there was no one out to bother Ulysses.

Since coming out here, he had visited the Black City at least once a day. The part of him that remembered the one psychology class he had taken in college found it unhealthy. He had thoroughly ignored it. He had also not told Todd that he was coming here. He was positive that if Todd knew, he’d call in the brigade, and it was the last thing Ulysses wanted. Besides, he always went when Todd was in class; there was no reason to suspect him of anything.

When he had arrived, Todd had asked him if he wanted to talk. “I know what it’s like to go through a break-up, man,” Todd had said. “You can talk to me about anything.”

“It’s fine,” Ulysses had responded, brushing him off. “I just need some time off.”

“You talked to Grover? Or Autumn?” Todd had pushed.

“No. And I don’t want to. I just want to rest, okay?” Ulysses hadn’t meant to snap at Todd, but he felt frayed. First with all that had happened when the Black City rose, the pain of Grover, his brother, call him a coward again and attack him, only stopping when goddamned Blackmont stepped in. And then Grover, Autumn, and Blackmont declaring their three-way consort bond. And then Todd, his only friend leaving for school. Then Susanna asking him for his blessing to date Rillian. And Ulysses breaking up with her. And then, it had taken him about a couple of days flying at night and then resting in uninhabited places during the day to even get to Minneapolis from San Diego. 

Todd was getting back into vet school, and being the Prince of his Realm. He didn’t have time to deal with Ulysses’ shit. Ulysses was tired, that was all. Just tired.

Tired of so much. Tired of being unsure. Tired of not knowing what to do. Tired of being weak. Tired of being secondary.

_You don’t have to be_ , a voice inside said. The memory of the mask, of all that he could be, that he wanted to be, he could go back to that. It was as easy as walking into the building in front of him. Return to the Black City.

That feeling was what had driven back over and over to sit outside it, staring at its walls. No one had recognized him; there had been one time he thought someone did, but they had just wanted to ask him for directions. Which he couldn’t give. _Useless._

He had to do something, something had to change. He didn’t want to be sitting in Todd’s apartment forever, avoiding everyone and everything, again. He didn’t want to go back to San Diego either, where Rillian and Susanna waited. And he certainly couldn’t stay in Minneapolis, not with the constant reminder of Blackmont and Autumn and Grover fucking everywhere.

And it probably really was unhealthy that he kept visiting the Black City.

He could step into the Black City. It was a possibility. He would lose himself entirely, again, but… Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad thing. All the things that pained him, they wouldn’t in there. It was a choice.

_A bad one_ , the logical part of him screamed.

He was pretty sure it wasn’t the part that controlled his legs, considering he had moved from the bench across the street to directly in front of the gate that separated the rest of the world from the Black City.

There was one other choice, too. Become a student of the Wolf Knight.

“Did you hear?” Todd had said that morning, before he left for class or internship or whatever. “Rutherford put out a call on his blog that he’s looking to take on knights as students.”

“Hm,” Ulysses had responded, playing with his bowl of cereal, not really eating it. “Wonder who’ll take him up on that.”

“I dunno. I’m kind of surprised, though; I thought he’d be trying to figure out how to become a god faster, or whatever.” Todd had shrugged as he grabbed his bag to leave. He had waved good-bye. 

Becoming the Wolf Knight’s student probably wasn’t the best idea either. Rutherford had always frightened him on some level, and it had only increased with the revelation of knightly apotheosis, of becoming forces of the universe if one worked hard and long enough, and Rutherford's dogmatic passion for it. There was a flash of memory, back when Ulysses had the mask on still, of hearing Rutherford say something like he had thought Ulysses was smarter than that. Knowing that asshole, he probably still thought he was an idiot. It wasn’t like they got along particularly well.

But it would help him be a better knight. That’s what he wanted, right? He had chosen to follow the knight’s path. Rutherford knew it better than anyone. And he’d be in Boston, far away from everything, and the Wolf Knight wouldn’t ask questions about why. Rutherford didn’t care, after all.

Ulysses stared up at the Black City, rain running down his face. This would be so much easier. All he had to do was walk inside.

He didn’t want easy.

He turned back and walked back to Todd’s place. He packed up his bag, wrote two notes, one for Todd, one for Grover. If he disappeared entirely, they both would end up finding him, whether he liked it or not. At least let them know he wasn’t dead.

He left that night, taking off from the roof of some random apartment building. He pretended the wetness on his face was from the rain.


	3. Letters

Todd,

I’m sorry I left before you got back, but I gotta go before I chicken out and change my mind. I’ve decided to go train with the Wolf Knight. If any one is going to be able to help me get better at being a knight, it’s him. I’m probably going to be gone for awhile, without a way to contact anybody, if I had any guess. So don’t worry about me.

You’re going to be an awesome vet. I’m sorry I was so lousy these past couple of weeks. It’s not you, I promise. You’re probably the best friend I’ve ever had. I just… can’t impose on you any longer, not when you need to be focusing on vet school stuff.

I’ll see you around.

Ulysses

~~~

Grover,

I think on some level I'm happy for you. I dunno. It's.... Really too much for me. Blackmont, she's..... I know you don't see it, but she's practically consuming you and Autumn. I know she does it out of.... Care? Love? I dunno. But.... But....

Grover, I feel like I'm losing you. Again.

After how Susanna and I ended, and now you three.... Todd's in vet school and busy all the time…..

I just feel like there's not much left me here. That there's not a place for me here.

I'm sure you and Woodrow would try to argue differently, or even Todd, but it's the truth. Everything has their thing. Their people. Their place. Their way to help.

God Grover I don't. I thought I did. But I don't.

I'm going to Rutherford. I'm going to ask him to mentor me. I'm pretty sure he still thinks I'm the biggest idiot after what happened last Memorial Day, but he can at least teach me to be a better knight and support me in traveling to tournaments.

I don't know when I'll be back.

Mom and Dad know. I think they're still scared for me, but they support me. And I'm adult anyways, so who cares.

Good bye Grover. Tell Autumn I’ll miss her.

Ulysses


	4. Chapter 2: Boston

The incessant banging on his front door had woken Rutherford up, and he grumbled as he stalked down the stairs. The silk red bathrobe flared out, and he rubbed his face with a hand. Who in the world was knocking on his door at this ungodly hour in the morning? He hadn’t even bothered to check if the sun was up. His feet smacked against the cool wooden floor, the only other sound besides the bang bang bang on the door.

He swung it open, thoroughly prepared to murder whomever was standing there, but stopped in shock. A scruffy, battered looking young man stood on his door step, a hood pulled over his head and a duffel bag thrown over his shoulder. Dull hazel eyes peered out from behind glasses, an arm still raised to knock. It took Rutherford a moment to even recognize him.

“You wanted to teach knights, right?” the Owl Knight said, adjusting the bag on his shoulder. “So teach me, asshole.”

~~~

They sat in the decadent sitting room, across each other on different couches. Rutherford had let the Owl Knight in and then made them some tea, which now sat untouched in cups in front of them. The younger man’s bag sat next to him on the floor, and the hood was still pulled around his face. He hadn’t lifted his head since he sat down. Rutherford had to admit, the kid looked rough, as if he had barely slept or ate. He tried to think back to when he had last seen him; the closest thing was the Memorial Day Party, and once the Black City fiasco had been resolved the entire San Diego division had left pretty promptly. There was the consort bond ceremony, of course, between the Dragon Knight, Xian Jie, and Blackmont, but he hadn’t gone, for obvious reasons. He sighed, annoyed. Keeping out of the news and rumors that propagated online usually served him well, but now he had no idea why Ulysses looked like he had walked all the way to Boston. Or why he would be here at all.

He picked up his teacup, tapping the side of the ceramic. He gazed at the Owl Knight, who finally looked up. Rutherford raised a brow. Ulysses spread his hands. “What?”

“You’re not going to drink your tea?” Rutherford took a sip.

Ulysses shook his head, looking away again. “I’m not thirsty.”

“How about hungry? Or maybe you’d like a shower? Because you look like you haven’t shaved since Memorial Day.”

He shrugged. “Probably since about like a week or two after.”

Rutherford rolled his eyes. “My point stands.”

The Owl Knight said nothing, pushing his glasses up and rubbing his eyes. 

Rutherford sighed, setting the teacup down again. “Look, I don’t know what brought you here, but I’m thinking you need to head back to San Diego, get your friends to help you, talk to your girlfriend-“

“I broke up with Susanna,” Ulysses interrupted. “She and Rillian wanted to date too. I… wasn’t up for that.”

Rutherford blinked in surprise. What was with all the three way relationships all of a sudden? Although he couldn’t say he was particularly surprised; the Owl Knight and the Dark Princess hadn’t seemed like the greatest match to him. At least they had never done the consort bond. “Well, what about Prince Nakeya? Or your brother? Xian Jie?”

Ulysses shook his head. “Todd’s busy with vet school. And Grover and Autumn… Blackmont really… Takes up most of their time.” He grimaced and folded his hands, knuckles turning white as he squeezed.

The silence stretched as Rutherford took it in. Being alone was his normal; he had carefully cultivated an image of aloofness. Everything was aiming to reach apotheosis, after all. Why would he need friends or people in his life? Ulysses, though… Hell, he had long, in-depth conversations with his fans. He was social. But, Ulysses didn’t have anyone now; Rutherford could read between the lines.

If he thought Ulysses seemed lost at the party, now it was written all over his face.

“Well,” Rutherford finally broke the silence. “What do you want from me?”

“You said you would train any knights who truly wanted to better themselves.” Ulysses scratched the top of his hand. “So, I’m here.”

Rutherford shook his head. “This isn’t just something that you come and do for a bit while you figure out what you want from life. This is serious.”

“You don’t think I know that?!” Ulysses exploded, his jaw set. “I made a decision at that party, that I was going to do this, for real. I participated in every fucking tournament. Hell, I put on that fucking mask because I thought it would show me what I could become, that apotheosis y’all wouldn’t shut up about, but apparently I was fucking wrong about that, and about a lot of other things too! This is all I have now!” He panted slightly, and something caught in his throat. “So either teach me, or tell me to leave.”

Rutherford stared hard at him, contemplating.

“Well?” Ulysses pressed.

“… You got a place to stay?”


	5. A Video

**Monday, July 24th, 2017.**

_A vertical video taken by someone’s phone, posted onto YouTube. Grover is standing in front of the desk, although you can’t see his face. He and the librarian are in the middle of a conversation._

“-sir, if you could please-“

“I just want to know if you’ve seen my brother at all! Is that such a hard thing to ask?”

“I don’t work here everyday, and I can’t share the security footage with just any one-“

“Do you know who I am?”

“Yes, sir, but that doesn’t give you the right-“

“Well, check and see if anyone under his name has taken out a book or something-“

“Sir, he’d need a library card to do that, which he wouldn’t be able to get-“

“Is there someone else I can talk to? Someone who might actually know something?”

“I can give you the number of our manager, although I don’t know how much she’ll be able to help.”

“Fine. That’s… fine.”


	6. Chapter 3: Boston

_It was all white, a massive white space. Ulysses looked around, trying to see what was going on. Where was he? He spotted figures in the distance, and he started running toward them. It was… Susanna? And Rillian? He skidded to a stop, watching as they leaned forward, closer and closer until their lips connected. He turned away, and spotted Todd, sitting at a desk, intently taking notes. He turned again, and there was Autumn, Grover… And Blackmont pulling them into a tight, possessive embrace. Suddenly, there were shadows surrounding Ulysses, wrapping around him, dragging him down farther and farther away. He tried to scream out for them, for help, but it seemed to fill his lungs, drowning him. They couldn’t hear him, they couldn’t see him, the darkness covered his eyes. It was pulling him down further, burying him. He could let go, he could let the mask take over, he couldn’t get free, he had to get free, his friends, his family, Todd, Susanna, Grover…_

“No!” Ulysses shot up in bed, panting and covered in sweat. His body shook, his hands gripping the sheets. It took him a moment to recognize his surroundings. His room, in Rutherford’s house. He wasn’t back there. He wasn’t under the sway of the Black City. It had been weeks since Memorial Day, weeks since he had even been in Minneapolis last. He was here, he was fine.

His door swung open, and he flinched against the light. Rutherford stood silhouetted against it. “What’s going on? You okay?”

Ulysses nodded, swallowing. His throat felt dry. “Yeah. Sorry. Just a nightmare. Didn’t mean to wake you up.”

Rutherford frowned, folding his arms. “This is the third time this week you’ve woken up screaming. It must be some nightmare.”

“Careful, Wolf Knight, you might make me believe you care,” Ulysses chuckled, running his hand through his hair. 

“You’re not sleeping because of your nightmares, which is affecting your training. I have to care.” Rutherford walked into the room and sat on the bed, looking over Ulysses. “So, tell me about it.”

Ulysses blinked in surprise, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. “What?”

“Get it out of your system. Tell me what the dream was, so maybe we can both get a good night’s rest.”

“You’re not joking.”

“Why would I be joking?”

“You’ve given exactly zero shits about my emotional well-being since I got here.”

Rutherford rolled his eyes. “You clearly didn’t want me to ask. I thought you’d get over it on your own, but you haven’t. Now I have to ask. So talk.”

Ulysses chewed on his cheek, looking down and wondering where to begin. The past weeks since he had moved in with Rutherford to train had been filled with a Spartan schedule of working out, carefully regimented meals, reading philosophy and discussing it, dueling each other over and over and over again. The few times Ulysses had stayed up too late reading, Rutherford had stormed in, taken the book, and turned off the light as he left. No internet, no outside contact; for that Ulysses was grateful. Can’t feel guilty for not contacting anyone if he had no way to contact them. And all of the training wasn’t bad. It had given him something to do, kept his mind busy and focused anywhere besides what he had left behind. He found that he actually enjoyed the discussions, too. It reminded him of academia, an area he felt safe in. And surprisingly, he could keep up pretty well with Rutherford, even if he was super intense.

But they hadn’t talked about what had brought him here. Not even mentioned it since he got there. Ulysses thought that the Wolf Knight just thought it was unnecessary to his training, emotions being weakness and all. Keeping it inside, though, trying anything to ignore it, had only led to nightmare after nightmare, sleepless nights filled with anxious thoughts.

He must have taken too long thinking, because he felt Rutherford shift his weight on the bed. “Come on, we don’t have all night,” he said annoyedly.

Ulysses sighed. “It’s mostly been the feeling of losing myself to the mask… Like darkness swallowing you whole so you no longer exist.”

“That’s it?”

“What do you mean, that’s it?” Ulysses glared at Rutherford. “It was a pretty traumatic experience.”

“But it’s not what brought you here.” Rutherford unfolded his arms. “You haven’t said a thing about Vellensberg, Nakeya, the Dragon Knight, or Xian Jie since you got here.”

Ulysses grimaced. “There isn’t anything to talk about.”

“Bullshit. One of your abilities is a Love virtue power for crying out loud. You caring about people is part of your knightly path.”

Ulysses looked up at him in surprise. “I never thought I’d see the day you’d say that.”

It was Rutherford’s turn to look away. “I’ve… Come to realize that not every knight’s path is the same, and that they don’t all require the same detachment from people as mine does. Your’s clearly doesn’t.”

Ulysses chewed on his cheek, watching Rutherford. What was going on in the Wolf Knight’s mind? He was suddenly aware how little he knew about Rutherford. He took a deep breath, and let all of his worries pour out. How he felt like he wasn’t useful to anyone, how everyone seemed to have someone else that could give what he could. How he still desperately cared for all of them, even Susanna, but didn’t feel needed. That he wanted to do something of worth in the world. And when he was done, the silence stretched on, and he waited for Rutherford to say something, staring at the sheets.

He felt a hand ruffle his hair. “You’re doing fine. You made a decision, and you’re following through with it. Things will fall into place eventually.” Rutherford actually sounded… kind. Huh.

Ulysses looked up as he walked back to the door. “Wait, Rutherford.”

Rutherford paused and looked back. “What is it?”

“… Thank you.”

“Get some sleep. I’m not letting you sleep in tomorrow.”

~~~

Rutherford closed the door behind him and sighed. This was not how he had expected teaching knights to go, late night discussions of feelings and and worries and running across the house to check on someone after a nightmare. Maybe he had gotten soft. It was the only explanation he could think of.

He shook his head and began to walk back to his room. The truth was, though, Ulysses was a good student. He was hard-working, determined, and smart. Their discussions on philosophy never were one-sided. Ulysses challenged him, brought up new points Rutherford hadn’t considered before. He was still so tied to his humanity, but it seemed to provide a source of inspiration and strength in a fight, rather than hold him back.

But at the same time, Ulysses was still so self-defeating. He was unable to see his own strengths. Philosophy and fighting wouldn’t help him there. He needed to communicate his emotions, talk them out with someone. And Rutherford was the only one there.

_Admit it, you care about him_ , some small voice inside Rutherford said.

He growled and shook his head, opening the door to his bedroom. Cared about the Owl Knight? It was absurd. He just wanted to his student to succeed. That was all, he reassured himself as he climbed back into bed.


	7. Chapter 4: Boston

Ulysses tumbled back on the ground, the air rushing out of him. He lay on his back, trying to suck air into his lungs, and Rutherford’s short sword held over his head. The bright blue sky seemed far too cheerful considering they had been going at each other for hours.

“You keep relying on strength to win the fight,” Rutherford said disapprovingly.

Ulysses sat up, gripping the grass. “I thought that was why you had me bulking up, to get stronger.” He rolled his shoulders, grimacing at the bruises that most certainly covered his body.

Rutherford reached out a hand to help him up. “I never said you shouldn’t be strong, only that you shouldn’t rely on it. You’re naturally smaller than many other knights, they’re going to beat you in a feat of strength almost every time.”

“Well, that’s great,” Ulysses grunted as he took the offered hand and pulled himself up to his feet. “So how do I win then? If strength isn’t an option.”

Rutherford furrowed his brows, looking him over. Ulysses recognized the look by now that he was figuring something out, and it was better to let him complete whatever process he was going through. He sighed, looking around the massive yard in the back of Rutherford’s house. It was wide open, empty of everything but grass, and surrounded by thick forest. A benefit, he supposed, to living outside of Boston proper, and having a rich father. He knew from flying in that the land itself was cut off from the world by a wall, keeping any prying eyes out. It was really quite peaceful. It reminded him sometimes of the small yard where he and Grover had played as children. He generally pushed that thought away, though.

Instead, his mind wandered back to Rutherford. He stared at him out of the corner of his eye. It was strange, the odd friendship they had now. Since that night, they had spent more time doing things outside of training. Ulysses had even convinced Rutherford to watch some TV shows; he took especially well to some of the anime he showed him. But mostly, they spend time talking. Meals weren’t silent, but filled with conversation, not just about philosophy and battle strategy, but life. Rutherford told Ulysses about traveling the world, the knights he had met and fought. Ulysses told him about all the times he had fought against Void Terrors, by himself and with the others in San Diego. Mentioning Rillian always made his heart tighten; she inevitably reminded him of Susanna. Rutherford had told him a few times that he had made the right choice, that being with her would have drawn him away from his true path, but Ulysses still wasn’t sure. He was sure he still felt like a pointless addition to her life if Rillian was there, though.

A few times, Rutherford had began to open up to Ulysses, tell him about his fear when he fought the Ghost Knight, or his loneliness as a youth. It was always in vague terms, and Ulysses would have to read in between the lines, but it was there. Those rare moments, Ulysses felt a familiar but new ache. He buried that too. That was definitely not something he even wanted to consider. Sure, he and Rutherford were getting closer, but—

“You flew here.” Rutherford’s voice broke Ulysses out of his reverie.

Ulysses blinked, turning to look at him. “Huh?”

“You flew here, right? Or am I to assume you walked from Minneapolis?”

Ulysses chuckled a bit and shook his head. These weeks had given him a new appreciation for Rutherford’s dry sense of humor. “No, I flew. Would spend the night flying and then the day resting, to keep out of sight. Why?”

Rutherford stroked his goatee thoughtfully. “There’s not many knights that can spend that much time in the air.”

Ulysses shrugged. “I dunno. I never thought about it much. When I got my powers, flying was just one of the things I enjoyed the most, so I’ve spent a lot of time doing it.”

“So why do you fight on the ground?”

He blinked. “Because… That’s how duels work?”

Rutherford shook his head. “There’s no rule saying you can’t fly during duels. But some of the greatest and earliest knights haven’t been the best fliers, so it became an unspoken limitation in the American scene.”

Ulysses grinned in realization. “I have an advantage on them.”

Rutherford gave a small smile as well. “Even Whirlwind won’t expect a flying opponent.”

The wind rushed around Ulysses, and he began to hover. “This is a plan I can get behind.” He grinned excitedly.

Rutherford got into a fighting stance. “Whenever you’re ready.” He couldn’t hide his own grin. _He looks nice when he smiles_ , Ulysses briefly thought before shaking his head. Not the time for that. He launched into air.


	8. A Blog Post

**From the Wolf Knight Blog; On the Merits of Stories to Improve the Self**

_Wednesday, August 16th, 2017_

"…My preferences in reading material have found themselves firmly in the realm of philosophy, but recent developments have brought about an understanding of the beneficial nature fiction can have on the improvement of the self, particularly in stories of heroes, which can lead to a better understanding of one’s own heroic nature. A particular example of this is the animated series, or “anime”, called _Gurren Lagann_ , which I was recently introduced to. Although on a surface level it seems only a ridiculous parody of the real values of knighthood, the journey of Simon and the mentorship provided by his adoptive brother Kamina exemplify the traits a knight should pursue, i.e. the tireless improvement of self and the confidence to achieve all goals…"


	9. Chapter 5: Boston

The words seemed to weave in and out of focus on the page. Rutherford grumbled, trying to focus on his book. He tried leaning forward in the armchair, reclining, folding his legs. Nothing. Instead, his mind continued to wander back to Ulysses. Ulysses and his growing fighting ability. Ulysses and his arguments over philosophy. Ulysses and his smile. Ulysses and his laugh. Ulysses and-

Rutherford groaned. Why couldn’t he focus? Ulysses wasn’t even in the room. Rutherford should be free of distraction. What was wrong with him?

And even now his mind wandered back to a few nights ago, as they had settled into the casual living room where a TV was set up. The popcorn had tumbled out of the bowl Ulysses had carried and onto the couch as he had flopped onto it. Rutherford had scowled. “Stop spilling your popcorn. I don’t want butter on my couch.”

Ulysses had picked up the small pieces, popping them into his mouth. “Sorry. I made a little too much.” He had adjusted his glasses. “You want some?”

Rutherford had shook his head. “I don’t know why you insist on making popcorn every time we watch TV. Isn’t that a movie thing?”

“Well, this is our version of a movie night, so I make popcorn.”

He had rolled his eyes. “I don’t know how you ever convinced me to do this with you.”

“Stop complaining, you know you’ve enjoyed it. You didn’t stop talking about Gurren Lagann for a week after we finished it.”

“It had good messages about the importance of sticking to your path no matter the consequences!”

“Alright, alright.” Ulysses had waved his hand, reaching for the remote. Rutherford had seen the corner of Ulysses’ lips twitch in hidden smile. Rutherford hadn’t been able to help but smile a bit too. Their conversations now often held this teasing attitude, going back and forth. No longer were they just giving courteous small talk around training, but instead were friendly.

Which, alongside encouraging Ulysses to share his emotional issues, meant that they had gotten pretty close. Which had only made Rutherford’s continuous thinking about Ulysses worse. Rutherford had started to notice how Ulysses looked, his smile, how he pushed back his hair, some casual glances as he worked out…

There was a knock on the door, stopping this train of thought. Rutherford sighed and put his book down. At least it would be a distraction from whatever was going on in his head. He peeked out the window, spotting a familiar motorcycle out in the driveway. He grimaced, heading for the front door. He had a feeling who he would see there. Only one person he knew with that sort of death wish. Hopefully Ulysses would stay in his room, lost in whatever book he was reading now.

Rutherford opened the door, staring at the Dragon Knight. “Where is he?” The Dragon Knight gave a steely glare. Rutherford was vaguely surprised that the Dragon Knight hadn’t pushed his way in.

“Where is who?” Rutherford just stared back.

“Don’t pretend you don’t know. I know my brother’s here.” The Dragon Knight tried to look around him, but Rutherford stood firm.

“And if he is?”

“I want to talk to him.” 

“Ah, he invited you to come visit?”

The Dragon Knight hesitated, glancing away. “… No.”

“Then why would he want to talk to you?”

“I’m his brother!” The Dragon Knight whirled back to face him. “Of course he wants to talk to me!”

Rutherford snorted. “You clearly don’t know your brother well.”

“Oh, and you do?” Rutherford’s blood ran cold. It was a fair question. He had only really known Ulysses for a few months. The Dragon Knight had known him for years. Did Rutherford know Ulysses well? He liked to think he did. After spending all these weeks with him, training him, discussing with him, talking with him… Watching him regain his confidence. The last thing Ulysses needed was his older brother tearing him apart, again. Rutherford knew that better than anyone at this point. 

Rutherford began to close the door. “I’m going to request that you leave my property.”

The Dragon Knight slammed his hand onto the door’s edge, holding it open. “I’m not leaving until I see him.”

“You’ll be waiting a long time, then.”

“He is my brother, Rutherford.” The Dragon Knight seemed to be pleading. “I have to see him.”

Rutherford shook his head. “And he needs time away from you.” He shut the door. He waited to see if the Dragon Knight would continue to pound on the door, but there was only silence. He peeked out a window. The Dragon Knight was gone.

Rutherford sighed, both in relief and frustration. Ulysses wasn’t going to be able to avoid his brother forever. Eventually they would see each other again; Grail Tournaments guaranteed it. He would just have to make sure Ulysses was ready when that happened.


	10. Chapter 6: Boston

Ulysses kept fidgeting. Rutherford didn’t even need to open his eyes to tell. He could hear the Owl Knight twitching, sighing, scratching, stretching, yawning. It was driving Rutherford nuts; every time he began to fall into the rhythm of his breathing and into his meditation, he would hear Ulysses do something. He tried to focus on the hard ground he sat on, on relaxing every muscles, on his breathing, on his heartbeat. Every single time, Ulysses did something. It probably didn’t help that Rutherford was now hyper aware of everything Ulysses did, sitting in front of him just out of reach in the indoor training room. He internally cursed his emotional weakness. Of all times, meditation was most needed, and he kept being distracted by the very person who caused it all.

Another yawn, and Rutherford’s eyes snapped open. “Are you unable to sit still, or are you just determined to drive me insane?” Rutherford snapped.

Ulysses jumped slightly in surprise, and opened his eyes. “I… I’m sorry. My mind is just especially busy today, I’m having trouble quieting it.”

“That’s no excuse!” Rutherford’s temper had flared. “It’s been over two months since you’ve arrived, and you’ve consistently failed in this aspect of your training. You need to do better, to quiet your mind, otherwise you’re never going to become a Grail Knight.”

Ulysses jaw clenched, and his hands formed tight fists. But he said nothing. 

This only provoked Rutherford more. “What, you holding back again? Afraid to say something to my face? I thought you had gotten stronger than that, but I was clearly wrong.”

There was a twitch in Ulysses’ jaw. “I didn’t say anything because I didn’t have anything to say.”

“Well, like that’s so much better. Apparently you only come up with words when it’s the least useful.”

“What are you saying?!” Ulysses stood up, glaring at Rutherford.

Rutherford stood up as well, getting in Ulysses’ face. “I’m saying that this training was obviously wasted if you’re not even able to stand up for yourself! You’re just as weak as you were when you let the Black City take you over!”

Suddenly, Rutherford was on the ground, his jaw aching. Ulysses… Had hit him? He didn’t have time to think it over before Ulysses was on top of him. Rutherford instinctively began to fight back, throwing the smaller man off of him. Ulysses didn’t back down, though, and soon fists were flying. When one of them got pinned to the ground, they began to wrestle, twisting around each other, trying to hurt each other, letting out frustrations that neither knew they had.

But Rutherford hadn’t noticed until now how much stronger Ulysses had grown in these two months. He was no longer the skinny kid he once was, but lithe and muscular. Two months of constant training had sharpened his martial abilities to a point. And suddenly Rutherford was on his back, pinned, with no way out, Ulysses on top of him with a fist raised.

And they both froze. And Rutherford’s eyes wandered over the defined muscles on Ulysses’ shoulders, now glistening with sweat, the hair that hung down over his face, the stubble he had yet to shave along his jawline. Those determined hazel eyes that met his. The bruise that was forming around one of those eyes 

And then Ulysses got up. Rutherford sat up, watching as Ulysses took a shaky breath, staring at him in terror. Rutherford frowned, but the dripping of something wet onto his face caught his attention. He lifted a hand and touched it. Blood. He must of gotten cut during the fight.

Before Rutherford could even get his thoughts in order, Ulysses left, throwing open the door and stalking out, his shoulders tense and shaking. 

_Fuck._

~~~

He didn’t run down the halls, but walked as quickly as he could. He needed to get somewhere else, anywhere else. He couldn’t be here, not now, he had messed up and it was time to get away right now. He couldn’t believe he had hit Rutherford. That was just the sort of violent response he hated, hell, it was something Grover would do, not him. What was wrong with him?

“Ulysses!” He heard Rutherford shout behind him. “Ulysses stop.”

Ulysses froze in place. He still desperately wanted to run away, but something in Rutherford’s tone made him stop. He heard Rutherford come up behind him, and chewed on his bottom lip.

“Ulysses, look… I’m sorry for what I said,” Rutherford said after a long pause. “You’re not weak. I was wrong.”

Ulysses shook his head. “I shouldn’t have hit you. You’re an ass, but it was still wrong.”

There was a long sigh. “Honestly, I would have hit me too. I was… Frustrated. I’m not… Particularly good at expressing emotion.”

He choked on a laugh, turning back. “That might be an understatement.”

There was blood still on Rutherford’s face, but the cut along his hairline was starting to scab over. A red shiny bruise was starting to show itself on his jaw where Ulysses had first made contact. Ulysses winced, reaching out without thinking to lightly touch it. Rutherford hissed slightly, but didn’t pull away.

“We should get you cleaned up,” Ulysses said, frowning sadly. Rutherford might not care that he was hurt, but Ulysses did. He turned to pull away, but suddenly Rutherford was grabbing his hand, holding it tight. Ulysses’ face flushed red, and his breath hitched in his throat. He looked up at Rutherford, his brown eyes staring earnestly down at him. “Rutherford…?”

“Do you like me, Ulysses?”

If he wasn’t red yet, he certainly was now. His body went stiff, and his voice cracked. “L-Like you? I mean, yeah, of course I do, you’re kind of an ass sometimes, but-“

“That’s not what I mean.” Rutherford stepped closer. “Please don’t make me spell it out.”

Ulysses swallowed hard. This was the last thing he was expecting. He’d barely had enough time to think about how he felt, it certainly was stronger than just friendship but he’d never felt this for a man before and he still wasn’t sure if it was what he thought it was, and he thought he still had feelings for Susanna, and besides, it wasn’t like Rutherford would feel the same way, he was masculinity incarnate, and why would he be interested in a guy like him-

“Oh for Christ’s sake.” Rutherford pulled him in, putting a hand behind his head, wrapping the other arm around his waist. His eyes shut. His lips pressed against Ulysses’.

Holy fuck.

_Holy fuck._

It took Ulysses a moment to even comprehend what was going on. He slowly relaxed into the kiss, and his eyes closed. His arms wrapped around Rutherford and he pressed closer to him. They stayed like that for a few moments, before finally pulling apart. Ulysses wondered if he was breathing. His mind spun at the speed of light.

Rutherford stared at him, taking his hand. “Let’s get some ice on our bruises,” he finally said, pulling Ulysses along with him.

“R-Right,” Ulysses’ voice broke. He cleared his throat. “Right.”

Rutherford smirked back at him. And Ulysses felt his heart speed up.


	11. An Article

**From the News section of the Magic Heroes Fan Forums**

_October 3rd, 2017_

We’d like to welcome Princess Aoife and her constituents into the fold! It’s an exciting time, always, to welcome a new princess, and Aoife as has been described sounds incredible. Magical Scotland? Who wouldn’t love that!

What’s more exciting is that Princess Aoife has been given a grail by her Shining Realm! Princess Phyrelios has been traveling down to Chicago, where Princess Aoife is based, to help her transition into life as a Princess and plan the tournament. Sources are currently saying the Xiomaran Grail Tournament will take place during the second to last weekend in October. There’s still a lot of planning to be done, of course, but the exciting question is who will show up!

The Oak Knight has begun to compete again in the wake of the revelation of the knightly apotheosis, so he’s a likely candidate. The Wolf Knight is also practically guaranteed to show up. The Whirlwind and Ivy Knights are a possibility; Minneapolis is close to Chicago. The Seafoam Knight is another possibility, but Boston is farther away. Considering this is the first tournament since May, it’s very likely that the Wildfire, Bear, and Raven Knights will participate, considering it will be their first opportunity to compete. The biggest questions are the Dragon Knight and the Owl Knight.

Since the Owl Knight’s disappearance (let’s call it what it is, people), the Dragon Knight has been spotted traveling along various parts of Middle and Eastern America, reportedly stopping in libraries along the way and asking about his brother. Rumors place him returning to Minneapolis sometime last month, but he’s been quiet on that front. Princess Xian Jie and Blackmont have also refused to comment, so whether he is up for a tournament remains a question.

The Owl Knight, of course, has yet to be seen since shortly after the events in Minneapolis in May. Theories abound as to where he might be, although we do know that he has left San Diego in the wake of his short romance with the Dark Princess. However, he competed in all three tournaments in May, a surprise for the fans of the historically tournament-averse knight. Another tournament might be enough to draw him out.

In any case, it should certainly be an exciting tournament! All of you in Chicago, get ready to become the magical mecca for a weekend!


End file.
